Book list
Click the covers for further information, links, excerpts, cover artwork and YouTube trailers for my book titles. Enjoy!
Click here for a list of my novels together with information about suggested reading orders. On the page where you are now, the books are listed in publication order
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The Royal Rebel1338.
England has declared war on France, and Jeanette of Kent, cousin to King Edward III, says goodbye to her family and travels overseas with the royal court for the first time. Once in Antwerp, she is captivated by talented household knight, Thomas Holland, just as he in turn is powerfully drawn to her.Although both know their romance is forbidden, their love for each other grows stronger than the danger they face, and they marry in secret. But before they can make their tryst known, Thomas has to leave for war, and in his absence, Jeanette is forced into a second marriage and locked away from the world. Then Thomas returns, and the real fight begins. As hostile family members battle to keep Jeanette and Thomas apart, the defiant lovers vow to be reunited – whatever the cost… From the award-winning and bestselling author, Elizabeth Chadwick, comes an epic love story set against the tumultuous backdrop of high chivalry, deadly warfare, devastating plague, and savage rivalry in the fourteenth century – the first of two parts telling the remarkable story of a woman who rose from royal rebel to formidable influence. |
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The King’s JewelWales, 1093.
Meet Nesta, a woman trying to survive in a man’s world where her protectors are either dead or exiled.
The warm, comfortable family life of young Nesta, daughter of Prince Rhys of Deheubarth is destroyed when her father dies in battle and she is taken hostage. Against her will, she is taken as a concubine by King William’s ruthless younger brother Henry, who later ascends the throne under suspicious circumstances. Gerald FitzWalter, an ambitious young knight is rewarded for his unwavering loyalty to his new King with Nesta’s hand in marriage. He is delighted, having always admired her from afar, but Nesta’s only comfort is her return to her beloved Wales where she is tempted by the charismatic and dangerous Owain ap Cadwgan, a prince of his people. When he offers her the chance to join him in his plan to overthrow Norman rule she must choose between her duty and her desire . . .
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A Marriage of LionsEngland, 1238 Now a wealthy heiress, Joanna’s arranged marriage to the King’s charming, tournament-loving half-brother William de Valence immediately stokes the flames of political unrest as more established courtiers object to the privileges bestowed on newcomers. As Joanna and William strive to build a life together, England descends into a bitter civil war. In mortal danger, William is forced to run for his life, and Joanna is left with only her wit and courage to outfox their enemies and prevent them from destroying her husband, her family, and their fortunes. |
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The Coming of the WolfThe Welsh Borders, Summer 1069 |
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The Irish PrincessAoife MacMurchada is just 14 years old when her father Diarmait, King of Leinster, is brutally deposed, and her family is forced to flee Southern Ireland into English exile. Diarmait seeks help from King Henry II, an alliance that leads him to the charismatic Richard de Clare, lord of Striguil, a man dissatisfied with his lot and open to new horizons. Diarmait promises Richard wealth, lands, and Aoife’s hand in marriage in return for his aid, but Aoife, has her own thoughts on the matter. She may be a prize, but she is not a pawn and she will play the game to her own advantage. From the royal halls of scheming kings, to staunch Welsh border fortresses and across storm-tossed seas to the wild green kingdoms of Ireland, The Irish Princess is a sumptuous, journey of ambition and desire, love and loss, heartbreak and survival.
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Templar SilksEngland, 1219 Jerusalem, 1183 |
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The Autumn ThroneA stand alone novel linked to The Summer Queen and The Winter Crown, telling the dramatic and riveting story of Eleanor of Aquitaine as she comes into her full power in later life. Imprisoned by her husband, King Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England, refuses to let her powerful husband bully her into submission, even as he forces her away from her children and her birthright.Freed only by Henry’s death, Eleanor becomes dowager Queen of England. But the competition for land and power that Henry has stirred up among his sons has intensified to a dangerous rivalry. Available in paperback, audio and all electronic formats in the UK and US. Click on the book cover for more information and to read the first chapter.
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The Winter CrownThe second stand alone but linked novel in my historical trilogy about Eleanor of Aquitaine, detailing Eleanor’s stormy marriage to Henry II and her struggle for political recognition. In 1154, Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the most powerful women in Europe, is crowned queen of England beside her young husband Henry II. While Henry battles their enemies and lays his plans, Eleanor is an adept acting ruler and mother to their growing brood of children. But she yearns for more than this and Henry has his own vision of the future that does not tally with hers. Available in paperback, audio and all electronic formats in the UK and US. Click on the book cover for more information and to read the first chapter.
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The Summer QueenThe first of three linked but stand alone ground breaking novels detailing the life of Eleanor Aquitaine. Young, vibrant, privileged, Eleanor’s future is golden as the heiress to wealthy Aquitaine. But when her beloved father dies suddenly in the summer of 1137, her childhood ends abruptly. Forced to marry the young prince Louis of France, Eleanor is still struggling to adjust to her new role when Louis’ father dies and they become King and Queen of France. Leaving everything behind, the vivacious Eleanor must face the complex and faction-riddled French court. She is only 13. Available in paperback, audio and all electronic formats in the UK and US. Click on the book cover for more information and to read the first chapter.
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Lady of the EnglishTwo very different women . . . Linked by destiny and a power struggle for the English crown. Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I, is determined to win back her crown from Stephen, the usurper king, against all odds and despite all men. Adeliza, Henry’s widowed queen and Matilda’s stepmother, has always been on Matilda’s side but now she is married to William D’Albini, a warrior of the opposition. In a world where a man’s word is law, how can Adeliza obey her husband while supporting Matilda, the rightful queen? What does it cost to be ‘Lady of the English’? Click on the book cover for more information and to read the first chapter. |
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To Defy A KingThe privileged daughter of one of the most powerful men in England, Mahelt Marshal’s life changes dramatically when her father is suspected of treachery by King John. Her brothers become hostages and Mahelt is married to Hugh Bigod, heir to the earldom of Norfolk. Adapting to her new life is hard, but Mahelt comes to love Hugh deeply. However, defying her father-in-law while trying to help her family, brings disgrace and heartbreak. When King John sets out to subdue the Bigods, Mahelt faces a desperate battle, fearing neither she, nor her marriage, is likely to survive the outcome . . . Winner of the RNA Historical Novel Award 2011. Click on the book cover for more information |
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A Place Beyond CourageThe early twelfth century is a time for ambitious men to prosper – and royal servant John FitzGilbert is one of them. But when the old king dies and his successor is appointed, John’s position at court is weakened and his wife, the pious, pliant Aline, is hopelessly unequipped to deal with a life lived on the edge. John knows the only way to protect his lands and his children is to divorce Aline. He meets his match in new wife Sybilla, daughter of his enemy Patrick of Salisbury, as she possesses a strength and courage that equals his own. But when Sybilla’s son, William, is seized by the king, John is forced to make a terrible sacrifice. Sometimes keeping your honour means breaking your word . . . Click on the book cover for more information |
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The Time of SingingThe young Roger Bigod, heir to the powerful earldom of Norfolk, arrives at Henry II’s court to prove his worth and wrestle his inheritance from the arms of his half-brothers. While there, he encounters the pretty and gentle Ida de Tosney, young mistress to the King. A victim of Henry’s seduction and the mother of his son, Ida sees in Roger a chance to escape her life of manipulation for one of security and affection. They begin a careful courtship, but the King’s controlling presence is a dominant force and threatens their future. Forced into a corner, Ida’s decision will carry an agonising price. Based on a never-before-told true story Click on the book cover for more information |
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For the King’s FavorThis the USA title and cover for the UK novel The Time of Singing. |
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The Scarlet LionWilliam Marshal’s prowess and loyalty as a knight in the English royal household has been rewarded by marriage to Isabelle de Clare, heiress to great estates in England, Normandy and Ireland.But their contentment and security is shattered when King Richard dies and is succeeded by his brother John, who takes the Marshals’ sons hostage and seizes their lands. Now William must face the conflict between remaining loyal or rebelling against these injustices – and the struggle threatens to tear his marriage apart. Fiercely intelligent and courageous, Isabelle Click on the book cover for more information |
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The Greatest KnightNormandy 1167 A penniless young knight with few prospects, William Marshal is plucked from obscurity when he saves the life of Henry II’s formidable queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. In gratitude, she appoints him tutor to the heir to the throne. However, being a royal favourite brings its share of conflict and envy as well as fame and reward. William’s influence over the volatile, fickle Prince Henry and his young wife is resented by less favoured courtiers who set about engineering his downfall. Fame and fortune, Honour and disgrace, and a partnership that will forge links through a thousand years of history. This is the story of England’s greatest knight. Click on the book cover for more information |
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Shadows and StrongholdsAn awkward misfit, nine-year-old Fulke FitzWarin leaves his family for the household of Joscelin de Dinan, Lord of Ludlow. Once there, he begins to learn the knightly arts which he desperately hopes will free him from the shadows of his past. Joscelin’s youngest daughter, Hawise, befriends Fulke when he most needs it. But as the years pass, an enemy to Ludlow changes their friendship unalterably, forcing them onto opposite sides of a cruel divide. When the menace to Ludlow intensifies, Fulke must confront the future head on or fail on all counts, all the while not knowing if Hawise stands with or against him. The prequel to Lords of the White Castle Click on the book cover for more information |
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Lords of the White CastleA violent quarrel with the future King John destroys the young Fulke FitzWarin’s greatest ambition: to become Lord of the White Castle. Instead of accepting his fate, Fulke rebels. But the danger pursuing Fulke reaches new heights as he begins a passionate love affair with Maude Walter – the wealthy widow chosen by John himself. Negotiating a maze of deceit, treachery and shifting alliances, Fulke’s route to success is fraught. And when the turmoil of the Magna Carta rebellion combines with a shocking tragedy, everything Fulke has fought for is thrown into the path of destruction. Short-listed for the UK’s RNA Award Click on the book cover for more information |
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The Falcons of MontabardIn 1121, Sabin FitzSimon, disgraced son of an earl, is given the opportunity to salvage his reputation when the knight Edmund Strongfist leaves for the Holy Land to offer his sword and services to the King of Jerusalem. He asks Sabin to join him. Sabin is warned to keep away from Strongfist’s daughter Annais, which he does despite a strong attraction to Annais’s spirit and courage. The Holy Land brings its own shares of trials. When the King is captured, Sabin is forced to take command of the fortress of Montabard. Now there is all to play for . . . and all to lose. Shortlisted for the UK’s RNA Award Click on the book cover for more information |
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The Winter MantleNormandy, 1067 William of Normandy has returned home in triumph, fresh from defeating King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. He has been forced to bring with him a band of potentially treacherous English nobles, whom he cannot trust to leave behind. Waltheof of Huntingdon is one such man, but rebellion couldn’t be further from his mind. From the moment he catches sight of Judith, the daughter of the King William’s formidable sister, he knows he has found his future wife and it is clear the attraction is mutual. But love has little do to with marriage in medieval Europe, and it is up to William to decide if the match should go ahead. After all, would a match between a Saxon Earl and Norman Lady be without complications? Shortlisted for the UK’s RNA Award Click on the book cover for more information |
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The Marsh King’s DaughterKing John has set his seal to the Magna Carta and made promises to mend his ways, but there is still great dissatisfaction with his rule. Click on the book cover for more information |
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The ChampionFleeing his abuser at the monastery where he is a novice, Alexander de Montroi joins his half-brother Hervi de Montroi who is a professional jouster on the tourney circuit. Despite his misgivings, Hervi takes him on as his squire, introducing him to the life of the tournaments and training him to fight and joust. While learning his craft, Alexander befriends a young woman named Monday and they become lovers. However, following an altercation Monday leaves, pregnant with Alexander’s child and finds shelter in a castle, working as a seamstress. Noticed by King John, she becomes his mistress. Meanwhile, Alexander has returned to England too, now in the pay of an Earl. He and Monday meet again at court, both older and wiser, but their new beginning is threatened by the political and dynastic motivation of Monday’s grandfather – a powerful man who has his own ideas for his wayward granddaughter… Click on the book cover for more information |
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The Love KnotThe year is 1140 and England is torn by the strife of civil war. Oliver Pascal chances upon a village raided by mercenaries and rescues the survivors: an orphaned boy, who is the illegitimate son of the old king, and his mother’s maid, a young widow named Catrin. After escorting them to Bristol Castle, they are accepted into the household of Robert of Gloucester and while Catrin finds herself falling in love with Oliver she suffers a deep boredom at the frivolity of court life. When the old midwife Etheldreda offers to teach her the secrets of her ancient art, Catrin agrees. But the midwife’s life is fraught with dangers. Oliver’s personal fears threaten their relationship, and then there are two men, both killers who would destroy the couple’s lives. Catrin is determined to pursue her career and keep Oliver and while England fights a bitter civil war, she battles for her love and for her vocation. Click on the book cover for more information |
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The ConquestWhen a comet appears in the sky over England in 1066, Ailith, a young Saxon wife, feels optimistic in spite of her husband’s fears. With a child on its way, the couple are prosperous and content. Yet, within a year, Ailith’s joy turns to heartache as her husband and her child are taken from her and the conquering Normans advance. Click on the book cover for more information |
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First KnightWritten around the 1995 film of the Arthurian legend, starring Sean Connery and Richard Gere. I was commissioned by Columbia Pictures to adapt the screenplay into a novel as part of the marketing for the film. Click on the book cover for more information |
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Daughters of the GrailThirteenth century France. Bridget has grown up mastering the mystical gifts of her ancestor, Mary Magdalene, whose unbroken female lineage has kept a legacy of wisdom alive for a thousand years. But the all-powerful Catholic Church has sworn to destroy Bridget for using her healing talents and supernatural abilities. Bridget’s duty to continue the bloodline leads her into the arms of Raoul de Montvallant – a Catholic. But when the Church’s savage religious intolerance causes Raoul to turn rebel, a terrible vengeance is exacted by Simon de Montfort, the unstoppable Catholic leader of a crusade against peaceful ‘heretics’. As war rages on, it is the children of these passionate souls, Magda and Dominic, who must strive to preserve the ancient knowledge for future generations – and find the love and courage to endure… Click on the book cover for more information |
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Shields of PrideIn 1173, King Henry II’s efforts to crush his rebellious sons ignite bloody border skirmishes throughout the land. Yet it is a time of triumph for mercenary Joscelin de Gael, bastard son of one of the king’s most trusted barons. Joscelin’s skills are in demand, and when the husband of Linnet de Montsorrel is caught out in treachery and killed, Joscelin is given her estates to manage, by right of marriage. However, Joscelin has many rivals and enemies, some within his own family, and he and the proud Lady Linnet have to come to terms with each other too if they are to survive against the odds. Click on the book cover for more information |
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The Leopard UnleashedRenard, heir to Ravenstow, is a crusader in Antioch, a place far removed from the cold Welsh Marches of his birth. Summoned home to his ailing father, Renard brings Olwen with him, an exotic dancing girl whose sensuous beauty and wild ways have ensnared him. Yet, in a political match made by their families, Renard is already betrothed to the innocent Elene and he knows he is also returning to the duty of marriage.Torn between Olwen and Elene, Renard’s personal dilemma is set against a background of increasing civil strife as Ranulf of Chester, his greedy neighbour, strives to snatch his lands. When Renard is taken prisoner at the Battle of Lincoln, his fate is placed in the hands of the two women – his former mistress, now in the bed of his deadliest enemy, and his determined yet inexperienced wife, protecting his lands against terrible odds . . . Click on the book cover for more information |
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The Wild HuntIn the wild, windswept Welsh marches at the turn of the twelfth century, a noble young lord rides homewards, embittered, angry and in danger. He is Guyon, lord of Ledworth, heir to threatened lands, husband-to-be of Judith of Ravenstow. Their union will save his lands – but they have yet to meet. Dynasties forge and fight, and behind the precarious throne of William Rufus political intrigue is raging. Caught amidst the violence are Judith and Guyon, bound together yet poles apart. But when a dark secret from the past is revealed and the full horror of war crashes over Guyon and Judith, they are forced to face insurmountable odds. Together… Winner of a Betty Trask Award Click on the book cover for more information |
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The Running Vixen1126. Heulwen, daughter of Welsh Marcher baron Guyon FitzMiles, has grown up with her father’s ward, Adam de Lacey. There has always been a spark between them, but when Heulwen marries elsewhere, to Ralf le Chevalier, a devastated Adam absents himself on various diplomatic missions for King Henry I.When Ralf is killed in a skirmish, Heulwen’s father considers a new marriage for her with his neighbour’s son, Warrin de Mortimer. Adam, recently returned to England, has good reason to loathe Warrin and is determined not to lose Heulwen a second time. But Heulwen is torn between her duty to her father and the pull of her heart. Adam is no longer the awkward boy she remembers, but a man who stirs every fibre of her being – which places them both in great danger, because Warrin de Mortimer is not a man to be crossed and the future of a country is at stake . . . Click on the book cover for more information |
